Jacob Antheunis (d. 1575)

Jacob Antheunis (Jacob de Schoenlapper, i.e., cobbler), was an Anabaptist martyr, who was executed by burning at the stake at Antwerp, Belgium on 22 May 1575, the evening before Pentecost. Van Braght relates that he was put to death with tongue screws to prevent his speaking to the bystanders. Van Braght also states that Antheunis' pregnant wife was executed after her confinement; but P. Genard, who studied the sources, did not find any record of her. Jacob was sentenced on the charge of frequenting forbidden meetings and possessing forbidden books. He is said to have written some letters from prison, which were lost during the revolt at Antwerp on 4 November 1576.

Braght, Thieleman J. van. The Bloody Theatre or Martyrs' Mirror of the Defenseless Christians Who Baptized Only upon Confession of Faith and Who Suffered and Died for the Testimony of Jesus Their Saviour . . . to the Year A.D. 1660. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1951: 1007. Available online at: http://www.homecomers.org/mirror/index.htm.